Read Exodus 16:1-16
When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.”—Exodus 16:14-15 (NIV)
While in the wilderness with Moses, the Israelites complained that even though God had rescued them from Egypt, at least they had had meat and bread to eat there. So God provided sustenance for them. When the Israelites saw the provision, they asked, “What is it?” and eventually named it manna. I can imagine the Israelites overlooking the manna, which is described as resembling coriander seed, as they searched for the promised bread. Although manna was not what they expected, God provided for their needs.
Sometimes we might pray for days, weeks, or even years, seemingly without answer. Often the answer to our prayers is not what we think it should be. Instead what we receive could be exactly what we have needed. How often do we miss the answers to our prayers because we are looking for what we think the answer should be? Let us pray for discernment and wisdom to recognize the answer when God gives it.
Prayer: Dear God, give us discernment to recognize you and your provision, especially when what you offer is not what we expect. Amen.
Thought for the day: Even if it is not what I expect, I will trust God’s answer.
Melissa R. Levi, Tennessee
